Machine for applying paper molds to cigar-bunches



L. R. GINDRAT. MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MULDS TO (HEAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FlLED AUG-10.1918.

1 ,843, 1 25 tfi ted June 8, 1920.

9 SHEETSSHEET l- L. R. GINDRAT MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MOLDS T0 CIGARBUNCHES.

APPUQATION FILED AUG-I0. I918- Y Patented June 8, 1920. I 9 SHEETSSHEET2 L. R. GINDRAT. MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MOLDS T0 CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l0. 191s. r 1,343,125. Patented June 8, 1920.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

L. R. GINDRAT.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MOLDS T0 CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FILED A-LIGJO, I918.

Patented J 11116 8, 1920.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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. L. R. GINDRAT.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER-MOLDS T0 CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l0, I918.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented June 8, 1920.

L. R. GINDRAT.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MOLDS TO CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-1Q, 1918.

Patented June 8, 1920.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

wal

L. R. G|NDRAT.-

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MOLDS T0 CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION men AUG.10.1918- 1. ,343, 1 25.. Patented June 8, 1920,

L. R. GINDRAT.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER MOLDS T0 CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I0. I918.

Patented June 8, 1920.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

L. R. GINDRAT. MACHINE FOR APPLYNG PAPER MOLDS TO CIGAR BUNCHES.

APPLICATION FILED A UG.I0, I918.

'1 ,343, 1 25 m Patented June 8, 1920.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

LOUIS R. GINDBAT, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE CIGAR MACHINECORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PAPER, MOLDS TO CIGAR-BUNCIIES.

Application filed August 10, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS R. GINDRAT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Machines for Applying Paper Molds toCigar-Bunches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for making andmolding cigar bunches, and particularly to mechanism whereby thecompleted bunches are wrapped in paper molds before the bunches aredelivered from the machine. While one bunch is in process of formation,the preceding bunch is being wrapped in a paper mold, so that theoperation of the bunch forming mechanism is not delayed by the additionto the machine of the paper wrapping mechanism. Usually, cigar bunchesare placed in wooden molds where they are kept until the cigar-makerremoves them to apply the wrapper, and considerable time is lost inplacing the bunches in the molds and removing them therefrom.Furthermore, when the bunches are made by automatic machinery in largequantities, a great number of wooden molds is required to hold thebunches. By applying paper molds automatirally to the bunches, the useof wooden molds is dispensed with and a saving in labor results, as thebunches require handling only once, that is, when the paper mold isremoved to apply the wrapper.

The mechanism for applying the paper molds to the finished bunches isshown in the accompanying drawings in connection with a cigarbunch-making machine of the type illustrated in the patent to RichardBright, No. 1,260,137, dated March 19, 1918, and is substantially thesame as the machine shown and described in my patent il-1,281,344, Oct.15, 1918. In the machines of said prior applications, the apron whichrolls the binder on to the filler and completes the bunch, ejects thelatter on to a conveyor which carries the bunches from the machine. Inthe present application, the apron delivers the completed bunches to thepaper wrapping mechanism which forms the subject of the presentinvention, and after the paper mold has been applied, the bunch isdelivered from the machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 192d.

Serial No. 249,302.

Fig. 7 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section through the upperhalf of the machine, parts being omitted;

Fig. 8 is a similar view through the forward part of the machine;

Figs. 9 to 14:, inclusive, are fragmentary views illustrating theoperation of the paper wrapping and twisting mechanism;

Figs. 15 and 16 are, respectively, side and plan views of the knife orshears for outtingotf the paper mold strips;

Fig. 17 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of thespindle carrying the paper twisting pins and one of the rollers for thepaper wrapping belt; and,

Fig. 18 is a similar view of the lower roller and idler within thepocket of the paper wrapping belt and the spindle for said roller.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates the supporting frame of themachine, which is composed of two similar side frames, 1 and 2, suitablyconnected together by cross-rods. In the lower part of the machine(Fig. 1) is mounted a motor 3, which operates a worm 3 on a shaft 3 andsaid worm engages a worm gear 4, secured to a shaft 5, journaled insuitable hearings in the frame, whereby said shaft is constantly driven.Upon this shaft is ournaled a gear 6, which meshes with a gear 7, upon amain shaft 8, journaled in the upper part of the frame. Upon the mainshaft 8 are mounted the various cams for operating the feeding and bunchforming mechanisms. By momentarily rocking a pedal 9, Fig. l, clutchmechanism, not shown, will cause the gear 6 to be connected to thedriving shaft 5 and this gear will be automatically disconnected at thecompletion of one revolutien,'unless the operator wishes to continue themachine in operation, in which case the pedal is not released by theoperator until it is desired .pack the filler therein.

to stop the machine. The clutch mechanism referred to is fully describedin the aforesaid patent of Richard A. Bright, but any suitable clutchmechanismv may be employed. In the ordinary operation of the machine,the operator allows the machine to come to rest after each revolution ofthe gear. The gears 6 and 7 are of the same diameter and therefore, inoperation, the shaft 8 makes one revolution each time the clutch isreleased, and then stops.

The mechanism for forming the bunches is the same .as shown in myaforesaid application. The filler f is held between bolts 0 and (Z,wound on a reel 0, and these belts are drawn from the reel on to spools,7 and h, delivering the filler on to an endless travel ing belt 10,(Fig. 7) which feeds the filler to a pocket or receiver 1", wherein itis packed by sets of fingers 11 and 12, operator by cams on the shaft 8which fingers move alternately into and out of the receiver to At eachoperation of the shaft 8, a knife 13 moves transversely through thereceiver, cutting off a bundle of filler; a gate 14, which forms part ofthe wall of the receiver, then moves downward and an ejector 15 thenmoves forward and carries the bundle of severed filler down on to anapron 16, and this apron is then operated to roll the binder upon thefiller and form the bunch.

The improvements which constitute the subject of the present inventionall relate to mechanism added to the bunclrforming machine, but timedtherewith and adapted to apply a paper mold to the completed bunch whenit passes from the rolling apron 16. .Vhile the traverse arms I; and twhich operate the apron roller 16 are moving for ward, in the operationof rolling a bunch, a sheet of paper of the proper length and width toform a mold is delivered into position to receive the bunch from theapron, and while the traverse arms are receding, the paper wrapping andtwisting mechanism rolls the sheet of paper on to the bunch and twiststhe ends of the paper, and the bunch, inclosed in the paper wrapper ormold, is then delivered from the machine.

The paper feeding, cutting and wrapping mechanisms are all operatedintermittently from a segmental gear 17, upon the shaft 5'. This gear,as shown in 1 and 3, at each half revolution of the shaft 5, engagesanother segmental gear 18, upon a shaft 19. These two gears are formedso as to constitute a stop movement, and the gears are proportioned sothat during one-half revolution of the gear 17, the gear 18 will berevolved twice, and during the succeeding half revolution of the gear17, the gear 18 will remain stationary. The gear 18 drives the shaft 19and upon said shaft is mounted a beveled gear 20, whlch meshes with abeveled gear 21, upon an inclined drive shaft 22, which latter, as shownin Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, carries at its upper end a beveled gear 23,meshing with a beveled gear 24, upon a shaft 25, extending transverselyof the machine. The shaft 25 carries a segmental gear 26, which mesheswith a gear 27, these two gears constituting a stop movement and theratio of gearing being such that during one-half revolution of the gear26, the gear 27 will make two revolutions, and during the succeedinghalf revolution of the gear 26, the gear 27 will remain stationary. Thegear 27 is mounted upon a shaft 28,'which. carries a spiral gear 29,meshing with a similar gear 30 on a shaft 31. This shaft 31 carries aspur gear 32, which meshes with a spur gear 33, of the same diameter,upon a shaft The shaft 31 carries a feed roller 35, and the shaft 34carries a pressure roller 36, which rollers, when the shafts areoperated, feed paper from a roll of paper 37. The paper is fed from thepaper roll transversely of the machine into position to receive a bunchfrom the apron 16. At each: revolution of the shaft 5, and while thetraverse roller of the bunch-forming mechanism is rolling the binder onto the bunch, a sufficient length of paper to form a mold is fed fromthe paper roll and as soon as the paper feeding operation ceases, thislength of paper is cut off by a rocking knife blade Z0, leaving a sheetof paper, indicated at p in Figs, 2, 7 and 3, in position to receive thebunch from the apron.

The knife blade Z1 is mounted upon a rock shaft 38 and operates againstthe shearing edge of a stationary blade 39. This knife blade is rocked,at the moment when the feeding operation ceases, by a cam 40, Figs. 3and 4 on the shaft 25. This cam operates the knife blade through themedium of a push rod 41, which is constantly pressed toward the cam by aspring 42 and is connected to a lever 43 on the rock shaft 38,

'whicl'rcarries the knife blade.

Immediately after the paper strip has been severed, the bunch passesfrom the apron on to the paper sheet, the position of the bunch I). andof the paper strip, at this moment, being indicated in Figs. 7 and 8.The traverse roller and apron then recede, to the dotted line position,Fig. '7, to receive another bundle of filler, and at the commencement ofthis retreating movement, the paper wrapping and twisting mechanismcommences to roll the paper about the bunch. This mechanism as shown inFig. 4, and Figs. 7 to 14, inclusive, comprises an endless belt 44,which is driven by a roller 45, the roller in turn being driven by agear 46, on the roller shaft 46*, which meshes with a larger gear 47 onthe shaft 25.

The endless belt 44 extends upwardly over a roller 48, which is mountedin fixed bearings, thence downwardly around another roller 49, which isalso mounted in fixed bearings, thence upwardly over a roller 50, whichis movable, thence downwardly around another movable roller 51, andthence over an idle roller 52 to the driving roller 45. In the normalpositions of the movable rollers, the belt, passing around the rollers48, 4:9, and 50, forms a pocket 4;, almost directly beneath the pointwhere the bunch is delivered from the apron, and the bunch passes fromthe apron into this pocket. The roller 50 is carried by a spindle 50",in arms and 53, Figs. at and 8, which arms are secured to a shaft 54,journaled in bearings 55, upon forked ends of a lever 56, which issecured to a rock shaft 57. Springs 58, surrounding hubs on the arms 53,and engaging the bearings 55, normally tend to move the roller 50 fromthe position shown in Figs. 8 and '9, toward the roller 48, as shown inFig. 10, but this movement is prevented by a spring stop or latch 8,(Figs. i and 6) which is engaged by the spindle of the roller 50 at theend of each paper wrapping operation. An arm 59, secured to the rockshaft 57, engages a cam 60 on the main cam shaft 5, of the cigarbunching machine and a spring 61, secured to the lever 56, in advance ofthe rock shaft 57, holds the arm 59 in engagement with the cam 60.

The latch 8 comprises a bolt sliding in the side frame and having a disk63 at one end and a conical head 63 at the other end. A spring 63normally presses the latch inward into position to be engaged by thespindle 5O of the roller 50, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9.

When the traverse roller and apron move down to deliver a bunch into thepocket 0), a forked projection 62, secured to the bearing 25 on thetraverse arm t, engages the conical head 68, of the spring latch s, asshown in Fig. i, and moves the same outwardly, withdrawing the disk 63from the path of the spindle of the roller 50; but simultaneouslytherewith, a projection 64, carried by the arm'of the traverse rollercomes in line with said spindle and, taking the place of the disk 63,prevents the springs 58 from moving the roller 50 to close the pocketwhile the traverse roller is in its extreme forward position and thebnnch'is being delivered on to the paper strip, (see Figs. 7, 8, and 9).WVhen the traverse roller recedes, this projection 64L is removed fromthe path of the spindle, and the springs 58 then swing the rollerinward, closing the pocket over the bunch, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

The wrapping belt 4% is started into operation by the train of gearingheretofore described simultaneously with the closure of the pocket. Whenin the pocket, the bunch is engaged on opposite sides by the belt andalso by a small roller 65, which rests upon and is driven by the rollerL9, but turns in the opposite direction, and the paper strip is quicklyrolled about the bunch. After the bunch has been given eight to tenrevolutions in the pocket, which suflice toroll the paper around thebunch, the ends of the paper, which project beyond the bunch, areengaged for an instant, while the hunch is rotating, by a pair oftwisters in the form of pins or rods 66, which are swung from belowupwardly toward the center line of the bunch and engage the extendedends of the paper. As the bunch revolves with these twisters bearingagainst the paper near its ends, and pressing said ends toward the axisof the bunch, the ends of the paper are twisted, thus closing the paperover the bunch and giving form to the ends of the bunch. These twistersare fastened to sleeves 67, (Figs. 8 and '17) secured to the spindle 68,which carries the roller as, and are rocked into position to twist theends of the paper, at the proper time, by a cam 69 on the shaft 25,which actuates a push rod 70, connected to a rocker arm 71, on one ofsaid sleeves, (Figs. 8 and 9 to 1 inclusive). The cam 69 normally holdsthe push-rod in an upper position. and thetwisters are thereby held intheir lower position. When the depression in the cam passes the lowerend of the push rod, the latter drops by gravity, thereby throwing thetwisters upward, as shown in Fig. 11, and immediately thereafter thepush rod and twisters are restored to normal positions by'the cam whichrotates in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figs. 8 to 14:, inclusive illustrate the operation of rolling thewrapper on to the bunch and of twisting the ends of the wrapper. In Fig.8, the apron roller 16 is inits ex treme forward position, and the bunchI) is being delivered from the apron 16 on to the paper strip 2), andthe latch s is withdrawn from its normal position by the forked arm 62,(Figs. 4 to 6) the roller 50 being held away from the roller 48, in Fig.8, by the arm 64, carried by the traverse arm. In Fig. 9, the apronroller 16 is about to recede and the bunch 5 has dropped into the pocketon to the small roller 65. The projection 64 on the traverse arm ismoving out of engagement with the spindle on the roller 50, but thelatch s is still held away from its normal position by the fork 62 onthe traverse arm. Immediately after the disengagement of the stopprojection from the spindle of the roller 50, the springs 58 throw-theroller 50 inwardly to the. position shown in Fig. 10, the roller spindlebeing permitted to pass the latch because the fork 62 on the traversearm holds the latch from normal position until the roller 50 can moveinwardly to close the pocket. 1m mediately thereafter the fork 62becomes disengaged from the latch. and the latter returns to normalposition. Simultaneously with the delivery of the bunch into the pocket,as shown in Fig. 9, the wrapping belt 44 is started into operation, inthe direction indicated by the arrows, by the train of gearingheretofore described, which actuates the driving roller 45. This causesthe belt 44 to roll the bunch in the proper direction to wrap the paperstrip on to the bunch and the immediate closure of the pocket causesthebunch to be pressed in a more uniform cylindrical shape as the paperis wrapped about it. lvhen the paper has been wrapped about the bunch,the twisters move upward momentarily, as shown in Fig. 11, causing theextended ends 22 of the paper strip to be twisted, which action gives ataper to the bunch at each end and permanently incloses theends of thebunch. When the paper mold has thus been applied, the wrappedbuncln'indicate'd at b in Figs. 12, 13, and 14, is then automaticallyejected from the pocket. In order to eject the bunch, the forked lever56 (Fig. 8) is rocked by the cam 60 and thereby the rollers 50 and 51,carried by said lever, are swung downwardly into the successivepositions illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, thereby opening the pocket inthe belt and permitting the bunch to drop out, as indicated in the lastmentioned figure. The bunch with the mold wrapper thereon falls into adelivery chute m, the bunch showing one of the twisted ends of the wrapper being illustrated in Fig. 14.

After the bunch has been ejected, the lever 56, carrying the rollers 50and 51, returns these rollers to their normal positions. lVhen therollers return to normal positions, the roller 50 must be held away fromthe roller 48 in order to leave the pocket in the belt open for thereception of the next bunch. To accomplish this, a swinging guide 72 isprovided, this guide, as shown, being in the form of a bell crank havinga downwardly projecting arm provided with a guiding flange 7 2 A spring73 holds the depending arm of the guide against the bracket 74, whichforms a stop, and in its downward movement the spindle of the roller 50engages the guide flange 72, as shown in Fig. 12, and rocks the guide 72 out of its path. As soon as roller 50 passes below the guide flange72, the guide swings to normal position, as shown in Fig. 13, and asthe: roller 50 moves upward, it engages the right hand side of the guideflange as shown in Fig. 14 and rides upward thereon into a position backof the disk 63, on the stop 8, as

shown in Fig. 9, thus leaving the pocket.

open. As before described, when the apron roller moves downward todeliver another the stop 64 on the traverse arm. hen the bunch isdelivered into the pocket, and the traverse arms recedes, this stop 64,as before explained, is moved out of the path of the spindle of theroller 50 and the latter then moves toward the roller 48 to close thepocket.

hat I claim is:

1. The combination with cigar bunchforming mechanism including a rollingapron and traverse mechanism therefor, of means for feeding moldwrappers into position to receive the successive bunches from the apron,mechanism for rolling the wrappers around the bunches and for twistingthe ends of the wrappers, and means for actuating said latter mechanismin time with the apron movements.

2. The combination with cigar bunchforming mechanism including a rollingapron and traverse mechanism therefor, of means for feeding moldwrappers into position to receive the successive bunches from the apron,during the forward movements of the apron, and means, timed to the apronmovements for rolling said wrappers around the bunches during theretreating movements of the apron.

3. The combination with cigar bunch forming mechanism including arolling apron and traverse mechanism therefor, of means for feeding moldwrappers into position to receive the successive bunches from the apron,an endless belt, means for forming a pocket in the belt to receive eachbunch and wrapper, means for closing the pocket, means for operating thebelt to roll the wrapper on to the bunch, and means for opening thepocket to release the bunch.

4. The combination with cigar bunchforming mechanism including a rollingapron and traverse mechanism therefor, of means for feeding moldwrappers into position to receive the successive bunches from the apron,an endless belt, means for forming a pocket in the belt to receive eachbunch and wrapper, means for closing the pocket, means for operating thebelt to roll the wrapper on to the bunch, means for twisting the ends ofthe wrapper, and means for opening the pocket to release the bunch.

5. The combination withv cigar bunchforming mechanism including arolling apron and traverse mechanism therefor, of an endless belt andmeans for forming an open pocket therein to receive a bunch from theapron, means for feeding a mold wrapper over the pocket while the apronis moving forward, and means for closing the pocket and operating thebelt to roll the wrapper on to the bunch while the apron is retreating.

6. The combination with cigar bunchforming mechanism, including arolling apron and traverse mechanism therefor, and means for feedingmold wrappers into position to receive the successive bunches from theapron, of means for rolling the wrappers around the bunches comprisingan endless belt, a pair of fixed rollers and a pair of movable rollersarranged to hold the belt in the form of an open pocket, a drivingroller for the belt, means for moving one of said movable rollers toclose the pocket after a bunch has been delivered from the apron, andmeans for moving the movable rollers downward, to open the pocket andrelease the bunch, and thence upward to normal position.

7. The combination with cigar bunchforming mechanism, including arolling apron and traverse mechanism therefor, and means for feedingmold wrappers into position to receive the successive bunches from theapron, of means for rolling the wrappers around the bunches and twistingthe ends of the wrappers comprising an endless belt, a pair of fixedrollers and a pair of movable rollers normallyarranged to hold the beltin the form of an open pocket, a driving roller for the belt, means formoving one of said movable rollers to close the pocket after a bunch hasbeen delivered from the apron, means for starting the belt intooperation simultaneously with the closure of the pocket, a pair oftwisting pins arranged at the edges of the belt, means for moving saidpins in line with the ends of the bunch while the latter is in thepocket, to engage the ends of the wrapper, and means for opening thepocket after the ends of the wrapper have been twisted.

l n testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LOUIS R. GINDRAT.

